Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital is looking for new people to join the team of HELP volunteers!
The Hospital Life Elder Program (HELP) is designed to reduce delirium in elderly patients admitted to the hospital. Volunteers are an important part of the care team - making visits to patients, communicating with medical staff, and documenting important information about patient health.
Volunteers must be at least 21 years old, enjoy working with elderly people, and able to commit to a weekly 4-hour shift for 6 months of service. It is a terrific opportunity for someone wanting a meaningful volunteer experience or someone working toward a medical career hoping to gain one-to-one patient interaction.
In 2018, HELP volunteers at Methodist Hospital made 3, 349 visits to patients up to 3 times a day to have conversations and facilitate brief interactions designed to prevent delirium. Delirium is the sudden onset of severe confusion, and is a preventable condition in many instances. It can have serious complications and may result in a loss of ability for self-care and independence. Of the patients visited, 98 percent maintained their cognitive status.
New HELP volunteer training is held quarterly. Please contact Park Nicollet Volunteer Services (volunteer@parknicollet.com) for more information on the program, training, and how to apply to be a volunteer. Learn more about HELP across the HealthPartners system here: https://www.healthpartners.com/hp/about/about-blog/delirium-prevention-in-healthpartners-hospitals.html.
